T&F Championships and Softball Brings in a Star -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Cards Finish Up Track and Field Championships

Photo via UofL Athletics

Though the team didn't have as much success as they may have hoped in each individual event, Louisville women's track and field had a strong showing at the NCAA Championship meet for track and field. Synclair Savage was the headliner for the team, scoring eighth place in the long jump to earn Louisville a point. That point represented just the ninth time in program history that Louisville's women's team has scored a point at the national championship competition. It was Savage's second First Team All-American nod of the year, as she also earned the title in the indoor season. Aliyah Welter finished 12th in the pole vault, good for Second Team AA honors. The mark was her best finish at the championship meet and she became one of just eight Louisville athletes to qualify for the outdoor national meet three separate times. The 4x100m team of Taylor Herbert, Kiyah Yeast, Tiriah Kelley, and Synclair Savage was granted an Honorable Mention AA award. Through the heats at the event, the squad ran four of the five fastest relays in Louisville history.

Brooke Gray Named POTY

Louisville softball has known they would be adding Brooke Gray to the roster for quite some time. We've also known she was very good for awhile. It's now the time of year when everyone else is getting the opportunity to see how good she is. Ballard is going for a repeat in the state championship and they've got a good chance as they're 34-1 this season. Gray is 27-0 with a 0.68 ERA. That sterling record, along with a GPA over 3.0, got the attention of the award committee at Gatorade, as Gray has been named the Kentucky Gatorade Player of the Year. By winning the state award, Gray is automatically added to the semifinalist list for the national award. Gray will come into a Louisville pitching staff looking to fill a Louisville-area native sized void. We're looking forward to seeing her in red and black next year. I'm sure the stands will be packed with local fans, though the wardrobe won't match quite as well from Ballard as it did for the Roby family coming from Bullitt East. We wish the best of luck to Gray as the tournament continues and the final award is decided.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

Coverage may be a little sparse and the crew might be a bit light today, but the show endeavors onward. After a late announcement of the tri-city neighborhood yard sale (Bancroft, Graymoor-Devondale, and Crossgate) being today, my hiatus from the show starts a little earlier than I expected. I'll be back eventually. As always, you can check out the live stream of the show by going to the Cardinal Couple YouTube page and clicking on the live video. Jeff usually creates that about an hour before the show, which officially starts at 11 AM Eastern. If the live time doesn't work for you, there are plenty of playback options, so be sure to check out whichever is best for you!

Cardinal Couple YouTube: Link

Anchor (podcast host): Link

Apple Podcasts: Link

Google Podcasts: Link

Overcast (free account required): Link

Pocket Casts (free account and app required): Link

RadioPublic: Link

Spotify: Link

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

Summer Vacations -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

FRIDAYS WITH DARYL 

Happy weekend everyone but an extra HAPPY WEDDING WEEKEND TO JARED AND KATY!! Soak it up and enjoy each other.  Your Cardinal Couple family is so happy for you to take this next step in the both of your journey.   Jared did confirm he made it to the hotel yesterday evening so I'm sure the festivities are on.   I still can't understand how Jared is gonna be in the pictures and also take them.  Stay tuned for his tricks...   Nahhh I'm just kidding, I'm really proud of Jared and Katy and am very happy they can spend this time off together with friends and family.  I cannot wait to see the pictures! 

A vacation sounds wonderful right about now... its that time of the year where the Cardinal coverage is sparse but its an opportunity to reset and recharge for another season just ahead.  

I am fully emersed in my full time work at UofL, Bats baseball and house renovations.  I am very much looking forward to a couple upcoming trips this summer too.  We have a group heading to Cinci to see Taylor Swift and then one of my best friends is getting married at Hilton Head over Labor Day weekend.  

Yes, I am a huge swiftie and I have been looking forward to my next Taylor show since my last Taylor Swift show which was almost exactly 5 years ago at Cardinal Stadium.  I cant believe I found a way to get a Taylor reference in here.  I honestly did not know where today's post was going to go.   If youre still reading this I bet youre wondering the same thing.  Ha ha.  

my panorama shot from our football seats in 2018 

Honestly I just keep thinking about Jared and Katy's weekend ahead as well as keeping Paulie in my thoughts as he manages to keep the rest of us straight and continues to bring nothing but excellent Cardinal coverage to the site.  

Other random coverage...

I got to catch the Sky win over the Fever that Paul covered earlier in the week and the NCAA Softball Championship between Oklahoma and Florida State where the Sooners staved off the Seminoles Thursday night 3-1 to win the title 2-0 in the series, their third season in a row and extend their current win streak to 53.  The Cardinals faced the Sooners back on April 15th and lost 10-1 in 5 innings. The Connecticut Sun (7-2) crushed the undefeated Las Vegas Aces (7-1) on Thursday evening 94-77.  

As always,
Go Cards

~Daryl 

Patrika Barlow still belting them out -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 

FORMER CARDS SOFTBALL AND HOOPS STAR ON USA SOFTBALL SQUAD

(Barlow in 2023)

Think back a couple of decades if you will. George W. Bush was running for President again in 2004. We were "Lean(ing) back" with Fat Joe and the Black Eyed Peas were ready to "Get it Started:. 

And Patrika Barlow was leaving Barren County High School to come play basketball at UofL for Tom Collen...Jeff Walz was still an assistant at Maryland. Barlow, a 5'7" guard would play for the Cards for four years and then switch over and play softball for Louisville. Barlow hadn't played the sport since her sophomore year in high school. Nevertheless,  Cards head softball coach Sandy Pearsall saw a lot there. 

"She puts in a lot of hours to make sure she's successful at it." Pearsall commented. "She's a very hard worker." Barlow took over right field in 2009, The point-guard, assist-maker actually had to try out for Pearsall's squad, but was welcomed with open arms and actually cracked a lineup that had gone to the NCAA Tournament a year ago. 

(Barlow in 2009)

Let's jump forward to 2023. And guess who's still playing softball? That's right. Patrika Barlow. She's on the 2023 USA Women's slow pitch National team. The speed of the ball may differ a lot from when it leaves the circle, but the basic tenants of the game remain the same. Most runs win, You gotta field well and have a strong arm, hit well and ove on the basepaths.  

Team USA won't play in the Louisville area during their preparations, but will visit Evansville. 

20+ years of softball and not quite 40 yet. It's an amazing stat. I think back to me...20 years ago...I was still playing slow pitch softball but nowhere near the speed, agility and stamina I had in my 20's. I could still "give the ball a ride to fence city and beyond" but I was no Golden Glove. And this was just Catholic league, co-ed rec. softball...pretty much a "beer" league. Barlow is still doing it at the highest level possible in slow-pitch.  

We applaud the determination, desire, skill-set and success Barlow is still having. Determination and the rewards one can reap from the success of your efforts is a wonderful thing to behold and to see a Cards great still having success 20 years after her  college days is golden. It's an inspiration, indeed, and a wonderful story. 

For a good read on Team USA softball, follow the link below: 

LINK

paulie

"Super Sub" Dana Evans helps Sky defeat Fever 108-103 in overtime -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 

EVANS 20-POINT SECOND HALF HELPS LIFT SKY OVER INDIANA

The Chicago Sky rallied to force overtime last night against Indiana in Chicago's Wintrust arena and got a huge contribution from Dana Evans to help them win the game.

Despite Indiana's Aliyah Boston single-handedly trying to defeat the Sky, the Chicago squad was able to tie this one 91-91 as time ran out in regulation.  Poor Chicago, down to eight active players for this one and getting killed inside by the former South Carolina star, but Chicago had a surprise of their own and it came in the form of the former Louisville guard Evans. As the teams battled through the overtime, Dana drilled a three-pointer with 50 left in o.t. to give Chicago a 101-96 lead. 

And, she wasn't through. A bucket with 26 seconds to go from Evans increased the lead to seven at 103-96. And, that pretty well cinched it. Evans would add a free throw with six seconds to create the final score of 108-103. Indiana had seen victory snatched from them by the Evans express. 

Evans played 32 minutes in th Sky win, going 8-16 fom the field and 3-4 from trifecta land. Add seven assists and three steals to tose Tueday night stats, too. 

Chicago also got a ton of production from Marina Mabrey (28 points) and .Kahleah Copper (24pts.) but Evans, who did not draw thee start, spend the first half setting up players with assists and making steals. Down 67-62 after three, it didn't look promising for Chicago (5-3) but they battled for the home crowd and Evans, who has been in double figures in five of her last six games...gave Chi-Town a look at why she was one the the most illustrious scorers on UofL WBB history.  

We hope the Sky can get back up to sufficient roster numbers soon. In the meantime, though, Dana Evans is relishing the playing time, success and showing the Sky coaches that the littlest gal on the court can step up very big and give them huge numbers. 

paulie

Roby Goes Pro -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

One of Louisville softball's all-time greats continues to celebrate a decorated career and will now continue her softball career at the professional level. Taylor Roby has signed with the USSSA Pride.

The USSSA Pride is one of four teams in the WPF (Women's Professional Fastpitch). The league was founded a a collaboration between USSSA, Smash It Sports, and USA Softball.  They had an exhibition season last year, but their inaugural season will begin June 15 and conclude August 17.

The four teams- USSSA Pride, SIS Vipers, Texas Smoke, and OKC Spark- will each play a 36-game schedule with the playoffs and championship being held in mid-August. Most of the games will be held in the Texas, Alabama, Oklahoma region, but the teams do travel some. The USSSA Pride will visit Evansville, Ind. in mid-July.

Taylor Roby recently wrapped up her five-year Louisville career as an NFCA All-American, a .312 career batting average, second all-time with 184 RBIs and 116 walks, and a program record 63 career home runs. She also finished in the top 10 in program history in several pitching categories in starts, strikeouts, wins, saves, and innings pitched.

NCAA Softball Update

We inch closer to the end of the NCAA softball season. Oklahoma edged out Stanford in nine innings to advance to their fourth straight WCWS championship and are looking for three straight titles. They took down Florida State in 2021 and Texas last year.

Florida State power hit their way past Tennessee in the evening session for their third appearance since 2018. They fell to Oklahoma in 2021 but won it all over Washington in 2018.

The tournament was not played in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wedding Bells Ringing

Paulie and I traded Monday and Thursday writes this week, which helps give me a little bit of a break as this coming weekend is a big one for me. Katy and I will officially tie the knot in Fort Mill, S.C. on Saturday! I still can't believe this Louisville fan is marrying a Florida State fan!

I'm looking forward to a few days off from the site (and especially work) to celebrate this special moment.

Happy Tuesday and Go Cards!

Jared

Field Hockey Represented at the Hockey 5s Pan American Cups -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Photo from GoCards

We're back to the start of the workweek for many. This workweek does include softball College World Series continuing, which features Oklahoma vs Stanford and Florida State vs Tennessee today. The "if needed" games will also be played today for that grouping. The ACC continues to have representation with the Seminoles still in the hunt.

But, let's move over to some UofL sports and the news from Louisville field hockey. Alumna Carter Ayars and current assistant coach Will Holt will be involved with the upcoming Hockey 5s Pan American Cups. 

Photo of Ayars from 2019

Ayars played for the Cards from 2016-2019 and was part of three NCAA Tournaments including Louisville's Elite Eight appearance in 2019. She will compete as a member of Team USA women's team. Ayars scored a pair of second half goals in Team USA's dominating 8-0 victory over Costa Rica last night.

The USWNT continues play with a pair of matches today- 2:40 p.m. ET against Guatemala and 6:40 p.m. ET against Paraguay. Both Guatemala and Paraguay won their opening games yesterday. They will wrap up play against Panama on Tuesday before having a rest day on Wednesday. If the USWNT qualifies for the single elimination tournament, it will begin on Thursday.

Holt spent many years as a player on the USMNT, but has changed roles to an assistant coach. On the Louisville side, Holt has been both a volunteer coach and an assistant coach. He was most recently apart of the 2022 NCAA Tournament team with the Cards. The USMNT began play with a 4-2 victory against Jamaica.

Team USA will continue play today with a single match at 5:20 p.m. ET against Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico won their opening game yesterday. They will wrap up play on Tuesday against Panama and have a rest day on Wednesday. If the USMNT qualifies for the single elimination tournament, it will begin on Thursday.

Note: Team USA has their digital media (pictures and videos) locked down pretty tight with copyright laws so we can't share their actual content here. 

Paulie took a few days off from the site but has mentioned he plans to be active on here again within the next few days.

Happy Monday and Go Cards!

Jared

Guess Who's Back - Sunday Cardinal Couple

Myisha Hines-Allen Returns

After an off-season knee procedure, Myisha Hines-Allen had been conspicuously absent from the active Washington Mystics roster, but yesterday marked her return to play.

The Mystics played the Minnesota Lynx in a close game, losing in the end 78-80.

Hines-Allen returned only in a limited form, playing only eight minutes, but in that time she did get a layup, a rebound at each end of the floor, and a steal.  Those numbers are expected to go up, of course, as she gets back into full game condition again.

Other UofL WNBA Action Today

Two other Cards in action today in the WNBA.

After yesterday's news that just snuck under the wire to get into Case's article that Liz Dixon joined the Connecticut Sun, they'll be in action today against Dallas at 1pm on NBA TV.  How much court time will Dixon get?  Obviously we all want to see her succeed, but one day after joining the franchise, I'm not sure I have my hopes up that she'll get too much time on the court.

Dana Evans has become a fixture in Chicago, being one of the most productive bench players in the league.  The Sky will have a 2pm game on CBS Sports Network.

Where's Emina?

If you've been following Racing Louisville FC, well first you've probably noticed a significant uptick in their quality of play over previous season, certainly a reason to rejoice.  The squad had their first ever 3-game win streak, for example.  They're still not burning up the pitch, but improvement is there at 4-3-5 on the overall season.

Emina Ekic has been distinctly absent from the active roster, however.  She is recovering from a fractured ankle (or leg?  Reports were not clear.) that she suffered in January playing in Melbourne Australia.  She did post a picture to social media from Derby with several other Racing players in which she was wearing wedge heals and no cast or brace or anything, so presumably recovery is proceeding well.

Claire Chaussee

Claire Chaussee joins the ranks of "Cards in the Pros", though you may not hear too much about her this summer.  Chaussee signed on with the Grand Rapids Rise, a team in a new professional volleyball league forming here in the states.  The PVF, or Pro Volleyball Federation, has been going through the beginning stages of putting the league together.  At this point we're seeing the announcements of initial franchise locations as ownership groups signing on, including Grand Rapids, San Diego, Atlanta, Columbus, and more.  We've seen some head coach announcements, and the Grand Rapids Rise seem to be ahead of the game as the first, that I've seen, announcement of player signings with Chaussee being one of three to join.

The PVF plans to start play in 2024.

Trent Dilfer, former Super Bowl Quarterback, but known more around here as father of Tori Dilfter Stringer, is a partner in the league, and Tori has been prominently features in much of the marketing materials for the league, though I haven't seen an actual signing of her with a team yet.  I would presume that will happen in due course.

Numerous VolleyCards do play professional volleyball, although nearly all are overseas.  Anna Stevenson Hall, Claire Chaussee, and Raquel Lázaro all played in Italy this past season, and yes they all played against each other.  Tori Dilfer Stringer played in Puerto Rico along with Wilma Rivera, which is, of course, home for her.  And Tess Clark has played several years in Spain.  Unfortunately, news from overseas leagues is extremely difficult to find.  Erin Fairs is the only former Card to play professionally in the US, as part of Athletes Unlimited, but they have a very limited season.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

Former Cards that went pro in other things did get together as usual for the CCRHP.  Case, Jared, and myself were on the call, and...well...it's getting to be summer, and news is thin on the ground, so expect some diversions and tangents.

We did cover some spring sport accolades, including some academic ones, most of the CC crew are keeping up with the rest of the Softball Tournament, even after Louisville's departure, so we chatted about that, some.  Mostly, we're cheering for "Not Oklahoma".  And we chatted a bit about WNBA and other "Cards in the Pros".

Check it out at it's Anchor/Spotify home:

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cardinal-couple/episodes/The-Summer-Slump-Begins-e255mi0

-- JMcA

More Smart Cards and Pro Cards -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

T&F and Rowing Athletes Earn Academic All-District Honors

The College Sports Communicators (CSC) continues to field its academic all district teams, with track and field and rowing the latest sports to be announced. As with any other CSC All-District athletes, these six will advance to the ballot to be named to the CSC Academic All-America teams. 

The latest Cards to join the ranks of those lists are Soledad Jean, Carly Pujol, Synclair Savage, Aliyah Welter, and Zoe Yeast of the track and field squad and Ellee Grosser of the rowing team. None of these athletes are strangers to academic accolades. 

Jean was named to the All-ACC Academic Honor Roll last season and made it to the NCAA Regional Round in the high jump. Pujol also made it to the regionals this year in the pole vault and has been named to the All-ACC Academic Honor Roll three times. She was on the USTFCCCA All-Academic team in 2021. Savage is headed to the NCAA Championship meet in long jump and is the anchor for Louisville's 4x100 team. She made the All-ACC Outdoor Academic Team last year and was named to the Honor Roll. Welter will be in Austin next week for the third straight year trying to win a championship in pole vault. She graduated in 2022 and has been competing while pursuing an MBA. She was twice on the USTFCCCA All-Academic team, earned the ACC Postgraduate Scholarship this year, and was named to the Honor Roll four times and the All-ACC Academic Team a whopping five times. Yeast bowed out of competition at the ACC Championships where she competed in discus and hammer throws. She has been named to the Honor Roll twice.

We don't talk a lot about individuals on the rowing team because it is a team sport where individual performance is hardly considered. Ellee Grosser is one of those individuals who has a special role on the team, as she is a coxswain, the team member that "drives" the boat while everyone else rows. Grosser is the coxswain for Louisville's First Varsity Eight boat, making her effectively the team captain. Her academic accolades are too numerous to list here. You can check out the gocards site for the exhaustive list if you'd like. Grosser has maintained a 4.0 GPA through four years while majoring in "molecular and cellular in developmental biology". So... yeah. I barely made it through my two required chemistry classes and, fortunately, organic chemistry wasn't on my flight plan. My last biology class was during freshman year of high school. Major props to Grosser, who could manage an extremely difficult major along with the rigors of athletics and still pull out a perfect academic record.

WBB Cards in the Pros

All three of Louisville's representatives in the WNBA were in action last night, with two seeing time on the floor and two picking up team wins. Myisha Hines-Allen still hasn't returned to the court for the Mystics, but Washington snuck out a one-point victory over the Dallas Wings. The Mystics led by two with six seconds to go when they were fouled and sank both free throws. A buzzer beating three by Dallas set the final score of 75-74.

Chicago also played a one-point game, but Dana Evans' Sky team was on the losing end of this one, with the Liberty taking the 77-76 win. Evans played just under 15 minutes, the most of a non-starter for Chicago, but she was only able to score six on two of six shooting with a made free throw. She dished out three assists but added two fouls and two turnovers. 

AD had their biggest game of the year for the Dream, who tried to swamp the Las Vegas Aces with depth, but their 13 points weren't enough as the Dream fell 92-87. AD added a rebound and an assist with no fouls and no turnovers in 12 minutes. They were 5-7 from the floor and 3-4 from beyond the arc. Vegas's win gives them the longest win streak to open a season by a defending champion (five) since the Lynx won their first 13 games in 2016.

In other pro Cards news, Mo Reid was named the MVP of the Saudie League while helping her team to a league championship. Two more Cards signed pro contracts as well, with Norika Konno returning home to play for the Denso Iris in the Women's Japan Basketball League and Liz Dixon signing with the Connecticut Sun. Dixon played 31 minutes over three games on an emergency replacement contract with the Mercury last month. The contract with the Sun is so new that we aren't able to confirm all of the details yet. Congratulations to all the Cards in the pros!

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

We'll be short a player or two today but three is enough to field a team. The summer slump is just about fully on us, with just the track and field national championships remaining on the competition calendar coming up next week. We'll find our way through today's show, though, so be sure to join us. As always, you can check out the live stream of the show by going to the Cardinal Couple YouTube page and clicking on the live video. Jeff usually creates that about an hour before the show, which officially starts at 11 AM Eastern. If the live time doesn't work for you, there are plenty of playback options, so be sure to check out whichever is best for you!

Cardinal Couple YouTube: Link

Anchor (podcast host): Link

Apple Podcasts: Link

Google Podcasts: Link

Overcast (free account required): Link

Pocket Casts (free account and app required): Link

RadioPublic: Link

Spotify: Link

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

Volleyball's New Faces on Campus Ahead of Brazil Trip -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

We have made it to Friday! For most of us, it means we get to look forward to the weekend. For Louisville volleyball, it means welcoming the new faces to campus and preparing for the upcoming trip to Brazil.

Louisville volleyball shared a picture of the new faces at LNFCU Arena yesterday. Our in-house volleyball expert helped me out with matching names to faces.

From left to right: Alanna Bankston, Jessica Drapp, Kamden Schram, Molly Urban, Reese Robins.

The Cards will travel to Arraial Do Cabo, Saquarema, Rio De Janeiro, and Sao Paulo, Brazil from June 8-18. They will play in five matches during their trip.

The itinerary outside of volleyball is highlighted by visiting Copacabana Beach, Christ the Redeemer statue, and Arraial do Cabo. The Cards will have a chance to visit local schools to interact with the schoolchildren, hike, surf, and play beach volleyball.

Not only is the trip a great opportunity for the Cards to get extra practice and experience, but it provides chances for team bonding outside of the regular season.

We look forward to seeing pictures and videos from the team's trip!

Happy Friday and Go Cards!

Jared

UofL Puts Three on D1 Softball All-American Lists -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

With the summer slump getting ready to come for us in full force, it's important for us here at Cardinal Couple to keep you on your toes. As such, you've got Case in the driver's seat today and I'll be back on Saturday. I'm covering for Jared, who shifted to Friday to cover for Daryl, who covered for Paulie yesterday completely outside the confines of our other schedule rework. You've gotta stay flexible around here.

Gordon, Otis, and Roby Honored by D1 Softball

With the announcement of D1 Softball's All-American lists yesterday, the Cards saw three players add to their list of accolades. The publication names three teams as of this year, with a freshman team being added alongside the first and second teams. The normal teams consist of players 1-9 on the diamond along with a two-way player, three additional pitchers, and four utility players. The freshman team didn't name a two-way player but had a total of six pitchers, giving that team one extra spot.

Sarah Gordon was named to that inaugural freshman team, holding down the catcher role. It was a good year for catchers in the state, as UK's Kayla Kowalik took the spot on the second team. The first team catcher was Oklahoma's Kinzie Hansen, one of five Sooners on the first team. OU added two more on the second team to represent seven of the Big 12's nine honorees on the first and second teams. The SEC led the way with ten, and Tennessee played a part in that as the only other team with multiple first teamers (two). 

Taylor Roby and Korbe Otis were both named to the second team, with Otis in the outfield and Roby claiming the two-way spot. Roby and Otis make up half of the ACC delegation in those top-two teams, though the other two players made the first team. Clemson's Valerie Cagle was the first teamer in the two-way spot, which makes sense since she was named the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. FSU's Kathryn Sandercock joined Cagle on the first team in one of the pitcher slots. IU's Taryn Kern just snuck onto the first team, claiming the last utility spot. She had significantly less competition for the 2B slot on the freshman team. Kern was the only freshman to be honored on either the first or second team. Despite their success, OU didn't place any freshman on the list. That said, I wouldn't count on a Sooner drop off in 2024 just yet.

We extend congratulations to Louisville's honorees and look for more exciting things to come from the returning players in 2024. 

Until next time, Go Cards!

-Case